ShinRa's Shake Up
by Kentaro M Asano
Summary: What happens when Rufus ShinRa is in a coma for a year? Will he remember Reno? What will happen to the company and the Turks? Has Reno lost Rufus for good? Warnings- slight angst, and this is a shonen-ai fic. Others are in the story too. Please review
1. Chapter 1

The red head sat in the chair, the same chair he had been sitting in for the last three hours straight. His eyes were glazed as they stared into nothing, having long lost focus on what he had been looking at out the window. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as the memories flashed through his mind… He didn't look the same as he had just a year ago. He had lost a lot of weight, mostly due to the fact that he hardly ate, got little sleep and had let all self care go to pot. Had it not been for his friends he would have died sitting that chair, starving to death, unshowered, and drowning in the memories.

They did their best to distract him. At the start they took shifts with him, sitting by the bed, waiting and watching. However, as time wore on and no change occurred, they slowly began to lose their hope and faith. One by one they had faded away until he alone maintained the constant vigil by the side of the man he admired, respected, and loved. The encouraged him to get out for a while, telling him that he was killing himself keeping on like this. The doctors advised him against clinging so tightly to hope, that it was highly likely that the man who had been in that bed for a year now, would never wake up from his coma.

He refused to believe them and had become withdrawn and quiet around them. He listened to them, nodding to pacify them and then forgetting everything they had said one they left. All that mattered to him now was the man lying on the bed before him; all he cared about was seeing those bright blue eyes open once again. He would pass the long lonely hours talking, to himself, to the still form before him; he talked about anything and everything, just to fill the silence and drive away the fear. Despite it all, the red head Turk refused to give up hope, even now as the doctor walked into the room for the fifth time that day.

"It's getting late," he said as he flipped through the file of papers he held in his hand. "You should get some rest, there's not much you can do for…"

"I'm not leaving him."

Cold eyes turned from the window to look down at the man lying before him in the bed. The EMR, not having been switched on in almost a year, twisted in his hands as he fought to bite his tongue. The last time he had gotten into it with the doctor, it had taken his partner to hold him back from bashing the bastard's face in.

" Reno ... you cant keep holding out like this," the doctor said with a sigh as he looked at the red headed Turk sadly. "It has been a year. A year yesterday as a matter of fact. He's not going to wake up... and even if by some miracle he does, chances are he will not be the same man you remember."

"Shut up!" Reno spat as he grip tightened on the rod in his hands. "I'm not leaving him, and I'm not giving up hope, no matter what you or anyone else says! I'm not leaving him. Rufus was my life… is my life. I don't care what he is like… as long as he wakes up."

"Be careful what you wish for Reno , it might come true."

The doctor turned and left the room, knowing all too well it was pointless to argue when Reno got this way. Closing the door behind him he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Any luck?" a voice from the shadowed hallway asked.

"I'm afraid not, Rude. He refuses to leave. He just won't admit that he is going to lose Rufus."

Rude sighed as he tugged at one of his gloves.

" Reno can be stubborn."

"Well if he keeps on like this, your team may not only lose their president but also another team member as well."

Reno scowled at the door as it closed, slowly releasing his grip as he slumped in the chair slightly. Leaning over, arms on the edge of the bed he sighed and leaned his head down on the back of his hands.

"You know I fucking hate you sometimes, Rufus. I hate you for doing this to us, making us hurt like this… for making me hurt. If you had just listened to me and left when I told you to, none of this would be happening now."

Reno lifted his head slowly and looked at Rufus' still form. He felt his eyes burn slightly as he blinked hard, fighting it back. He wouldn't be weak again… he wouldn't…

"You damn well better be hearing everything I've been saying to you the past year, Rufus. I'm not just talking for my own benefit. I want you to know – I want you to hear everything I have said."

Reno fell silent for a moment, the slow stead rise and fall of Rufus' chest the only movement coming from the bed. The various machines beeped and whirled softly, sounds that had become the background music to Reno 's life for the past year. Despite the extensive time that had passed, several bandages were still in place. One was wrapped around his neck, where a piece of glass from his office window had embedded itself in the back of his neck, nearly severing his spine. They dint think there was any major long term damaged caused from it, but until he awoke, there was no way to know for sure. The other bandage wound around his head, slipping down over his left eye where sever burns were still not fully healed. As if everything that had not been going on were not enough, about six months or so after the attack and the upheaval of the LifeStream, Rufus began exhibiting symptoms of the new disease geostigma. The blotchy black patches were scattered over the blonde's arms, chest, and back. Just one more thing Reno worried over during those long hours he spent at the bed side, waiting, watching, and hoping.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, in the early A.M. hours, Reno finally fell asleep despite his best efforts and despite the memories, fears, and doubts that were swelling in his mind. His sleep we light and broken, his mind drifting in and out of the memory of his first encounter with the then vice president of the ShinRa company.

It had been only a week or so since his induction as a member of ShinRa's finest- the Turks. He was surviving his training- for the most part- other than Tseng annoying the crap out of him. Reno had a good feeling about his team mates for the most part. Tseng was alright; he was just stiff and had as good a sense of humor as a mortician. Elena was a shocker; there was more to the petite blonde than Reno had first given her credit for. Then there was Rude, the mountain of a man who seemed the opposite of Reno in every way- from looks, height, stealth, and personality- and yet somehow Reno seemed to click with him easier than any of the others. The person Reno was both excited and also a littler nervous about meeting was the vice president himself- Rufus ShinRa. Tseng had told him early on that the chances of him meeting Rufus face to face was slim- the man hardly ever appeared outside office meetings or undercover missions, and he never took the time to acknowledge the new blood. Despite this Reno wanted to meet the man. He might have reconsidered that desire had he known what that first mission would entail.

For the last time Reno , stop your whining! "Tseng hissed as he cast an annoyed glance at their newest member

He rubbed the back of his head as he wondered what on earth had possessed the higher ups to bring this kid on board. Sure he had talent; he could wield a sword fairly well and was amazing at close range hand to hand combat. But his maturity level… Tseng had seen kids with more maturity than this guy. Still, he had to trust that his boss knew what he was doing.

"I just don't see why its so important I learn how to use a gun. Ive gotten along fine so far without using one… so why start now?"

"Because it is essential to the work we do as Turks. Our mission our reason for existing is to protect the President and vice President. All threats must be eliminated and long range attacks are the easiest and also the first line of defense. Hand to hand combat is a last resort- we must make all attempts to destroy a threat before it reaches that point. That is why, Reno , you will learn to use this." Tseng handed Reno a small hand gun and then turned his back on the red head.

"Your target is at the end of the hall," Tseng said as he reached into his pocket and laid more ammo on the table. "Keep practicing. I will be back and I better see some hole on target."

Reno stared after him for a moment and then sighed as he looked over the gun. Damn he hated these things. They were so loud and so messy… He raised the gun, took aim and squeezed the trigger, the force making him hand recoil as he smacked himself in the face. …and bloody annoying too!

"Oh for the love of Jenovah's head!" Reno exclaimed as he rubbed his bruised nose.

Sighing loudly and muttering under his breath he raised the gun again and fired, this time keeping the recoil under control a little better. Again and again he fired, the shots hitting the target everywhere but right in the bulls eye. Cursing loudly he reloaded and raised the gun. Just then he heard a voice behind him.

"Such angry words are not becoming a member of the great Turks."

It didn't sound like Tseng, but Reno figured it was just his ears ringing from the noise of the shots.

"Oh shut up will you? This is going to fucking useless…"

Reno didn't get to finish, his words were cut off as a hand flew through the air, striking him in the back of the head, causing him to drop the gun and stagger forward.

"What the hell?" Reno cried as he turned, only to see not Tseng but a figured with white coat and bright blond hair. The stranger smirked and Reno charged.

The stranger dodged the first blow easily but Reno recovered and turned faster than he expected and Reno landed a punch to the shoulder. The stranger yelled and grabbed the front of Reno 's jacket and threw him to the ground, placing a knee of his chest, pinning him to the floor. Reno stared up in shock and opened his mouth but no words would come out. Just then Tseng came running back down the hall and the stranger got up without a word and walked away, Tseng bowing and muttering apologies as he passed. He yanked Reno to his feet and shook him hard.

"Do you have any idea who that fucking was?" he shouted as Reno just nodded stupidly. "That was the fucking vice president!"

"Really? Wicked…" Reno stared after the blonde headed man until he was gone from sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Reno blinked as his mind drifted back to the present. He stood slowly, his spine popping slightly. Reno paced around the large hospital room, stretching out sore and cramped muscles and getting the blood flowing through his limbs. The doctor hadn't come on for his usual morning "pep talk" he but Reno wasn't going to complain any about it. Standing by the window as the sun slowly started to rise over the broken city, Reno stretched, his spine popping loudly with the movement. He glanced around him and shook his head, making a mental note, for about the hundredth time, to remember to clean up a little… Empty fast good and take out boxes had gathered into a rather impressive pile on the floor by the window since he had last tackled the clutter. Random shirts and pants hung over the chairs and had accumulated into piles on the floor.

The red headed Turk had changed a lot the past year. More than just being a lot thinner and more unkempt than he had ever dared when Rufus was still in charge, Reno had resorted to a one track mind- Rufus. Personal upkeep meant little to him, eating and sleeping had even taken a back seat to him lately. He had not worn his Turk suit in over six months. His wardrobe lately consisted of whatever random shirt he pulled out of the clutter that wasn't overly pungent and dirty. Elena would take some of his clothes now and then, wash them, and bring them back to him- it wasn't that Reno wasn't grateful, he was, he just couldn't… he couldn't function anymore without him. His thoughts were racing around in his head as he stood there in the room that was eerily silent other than the constant drum of the medical machines.

As Reno stood barefoot, his toes wiggling slightly in the carpet, he looked around trying to find his shoes. One was half way under Rufus' bed, the only clutter that was within a ten foot radius of the bed, the other shoe had somehow ended up half way across the room, being kept company by his EMR. Reno shook his head as he picked up a shirt from the back of one of the chairs and sniffed at it. The smell made him choke and he felt his eyes water slightly as he coughed and turned back to the window, dropping the shirt to the floor and forgetting about it just as quickly.

He smiled sadly as he saw Elena and Rude enter the hospital a few floors below him. They wouldn't be staying for long, they never did. Elena couldn't bear to see Rufus like he was and it was unnerving even to Rude how far Reno had fallen health wise. It wasn't very far off to say that if they weren't careful, Reno might be the next one confined to a hospital bed after passing out from sheer exhaustion. Sighing softly, Reno leaned against the wall as he gazed out across the city and then turned and sat down in the chair by the bed, his back to the door as he looked at the still lifeless form lying on the bed.

"Really wish you would wake up Rufus… that way I wouldn't have to deal with Elena and Rude on my own. You were always so much better at that stuff than I was…"

"Now Reno, are we really that hard to get along with?"

Elena stood in the doorway smiling sadly at the red head. Rude walked in behind her, in a rare move removing his dark sunglasses, his piercing grey eyes looking right into Reno's.

"Oh Elena, Rude… pleasant surprise" Reo said, trying not to sound forced in his statement.

"Don't lie," Rude said simply as he stood beside the bed.

"You never were very good at lying, Reno… your eyes always gave you away." Elena spoke gently as she moved the clutter of clothes from the chair and sat down.

Reno nodded silently as he stood between the bed and the window, the soft sunbeams filtering through the window and falling across the room and onto the bed. The soft golden glow of the early morning sun made Rufus look less pale… almost alive… Reno sighed softly.

"Any change?" Elena asked, trying to sound hopeful.

"No. Maybe tomorrow…" Reno said as he turned back to the window and looked out across the city that was slowly starting to wake up. That was his answer anytime anyone asked him that.

"Maybe," Rude said simply as he tugged at the gloves on his hands, silencing filling the room. They never did talk much, there wasn't much to talk about anymore… the Turks had all but disbanded, each one finding their own way and their own lives now. Midgar was still in the slow process of rebuilding. AVALANCHE was still at large… life was still a mess… and none of if matter anymore, none of it really made a difference anyways.

"Reno?" Elena asked as she looked over at the red head. Her voice was uneasy and she looked like she was about to cry. "Reno, we saw the doctor in the hallway on our way up..."

"Oh?" Reno asked, not moving and not looking away from the window. "And what did the bastard want this time?"

"He.. he gave us an update, since it's been a few days since we have been by. He… He said that there is nothing else we can do… for Rufus… that it is time to admit to everyone, all of us, that we've lost him."

"They have been saying that for the last six month, Elena," Reno said, his voice irritated and tight as he turned and faced his fellow Turk.

A baggy, now too big, white button up shirt hung on Reno's small frame, unbuttoned and stained. Faded jeans and a tight belt to hold them up was the only other thing Reno was wearing. His hair, having gone mostly uncut for a year was now down past his shoulders, the ponytail having long been cut. His trade mark goggles were lost somewhere in the piles of clutter. It was indeed true that the man standing in front of them was not the one they knew a year ago- he had changed.

"Yes they have been saying that for a while now," Rude said solemnly.

"But…" Elena whispered softly.

"But what?" Reno narrowed his eyes at her.

"But now they say it is time to stop this Reno. You have to admit, to yourself, that Rufus is not coming back. Its been a year Reno, a year of waiting, of killing yourself… and nothings changed. He's not coming back Reno; there's nothing anyone can do – not you, not us, not the doctors, and not even Rufus himself evidently. Reno, it's time to let go."

"So what, are you going to just give up on him? What are you going to do Elena, Rude? Are you going to pull the plug on Rufus? Are you going to just give up, walk away, and let him die?" Reno's voice was tight and loud as he fought back the wave of emotions crashing against him, threatening to knock him off his feet. He had often had that thought pass through his mind and it made him sick, his knees shaking and he pushed them from his mind each time. And now he was hearing it again, only this time, he could not stop it by pushing it out of his mind, for it was not his voice he was hearing in his ears. He stared at his fellow Turks, eyes shifting back and forth between Rude and Elena in sheer disbelief as the realization hit him.

"My god, you are! You are seriously going to pull the plug and kill him? I can't fucking believe you- either of you!"

"Reno… please, calm down…" Elena said as she stood ad walked over to the red head. She reached out a hand slowly and laid it on his shoulder. Reno pulled away, jerking his arm back and gave her a look of total disgust and loathing as he slapped her hand away.

"I can't believe you Elena... you either Rude!" How could you!? This is Rufus we are talking about here! Rufus!"

Reno stood by the window, glaring at them, his chest heaving and has clenched into tight fists. His legs were shaking and his head was spinning. He felt sick.

"I won't give up hope! I won't leave him! I won't let you do this!"

"Reno.."

"Shut up Rude! I cant believe what I am hearing!"

Reno turned his back to them, hands on the window sill as he struggled to keep himself steady, his breath catching in his throat.

"Get out," He said through clenched teeth.

"Reno… I…" Elena started softly.

"Get out!" he yelled, slamming his fist down on the window sill, his body shaking.  
He heard them leave, the familiar sound of Rude unfolding the sunglasses and the soft tap of Elena's light shoes. He heard Elena whisper a soft "I'm sorry" as they left. It wasn't until the door closed behind them that Reno let himself go.

Tears ran down his cheeks, splashing onto the window sill, forming small puddles. His shoulders shook with each ragged breath as his knees finally gave out. Sinking to the floor, he leaned against the wall as he cried, unable and unwilling- at least for the moment- to move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a week- a week of fighting off doctors and refusing to leave Rufus' side. Things were getting bretty intese- Reno had actually taken a swing at the doctor the day before and had to be restrained by Rude. Despite how thin and weak he was he still put up quite the fight. He had basically collapsed in Rude's arms, and his partner knew enough not to move him from Rufus' side, so he and Elena had stayed there taking care of him. The next day they were gone when he woke... he felt bad but he was glad, he didnt want to have to face them just yet.

The red head slowly sat up and stretched, his stiff neck and back protesting the movement. Running hands through his messy unwashed hair he groaned. He was more than past due for a shower, figuring it had been close to a week since his last encounter with the shower. The light was dim in the room due to the blinds that were pulled tight, blocking out the noonday sun, and Reno noticed a small silver of light that cut through the dimness and fell across Rufus' face. Reno stared at him a moment, the light cutting a swatch across the handsome features, falling across the one eye that remained bandaged. How we wished he would be able to see those brilliant blue eyes looking up at him again… he knew he would never forget what those eyes looked liked, but it was getting harder and harder to see them clearly. Sighing softly Reno leaned over, his elbows resting on the edge of the bed.

"It's been a year Rufus… a damn year. It's high time for you to wake up. You hear me Rufus? It's damn time for you to wake up and stop doing this to us."

Without realizing it, Reno 's hand reached out, gently lying over the cool still hand that lay on the bed. Gently, Reno lifted the hand and kissed it softly, that familiar sting burning behind his eyes. He stared down at the man lying in the bed, everything else fading away.

" Reno ..."

The soft gentle voice of Elena reached his ears, yet he made no sign of having heard her. He didn't care who saw, or who knew. It was no secret how he felt for Rufus or how the most powerful and richest man in the world felt towards him. It had been several years common knowledge among the Turks and the two went to careful lengths to separate work from their personal lives, yet it was well known just how close the two were.

" Reno … you can't keep on like this…"

"I'm not leaving, Elena. You're just wasting your time."

"I know how you feel Reno … I know it's hard. It hasn't been easy for any of us to deal with, but this is how it is. "

Reno just stared down at the hand that was held in his, his eyes wide and unblinking as he looked up at Rufus' face. Elena stepped closer and put a hand on her partner's shoulder.

" Reno ?"

"Elena… he… he just squeezed my hand…"

" Reno , are you sure?" she asked softly, her voice saddened. "Are you sure you just aren't imagining what you want to happen?"

"I felt it damn it! Rufus is awake! He can hear us, I know it!"

Elena looked at the still form then to the red head that looked up at her with eyes so bright and hopeful. She sighed softly as she turned and headed fort he door.

"Stay with him. I'll go find the doctor."

Reno nodded, barely hearing her as he slipped his knees beside the bed, gripping the hand a little harder as he studied Rufus' face closely.

"Come on Rufus, you can do it… fight it. Fight it!"

Whether it was a few seconds or an hour, Reno didn't know, but the door opened and Elena walked in, followed by the doctor as well as Rude and Tseng who had just arrived a few moments ago.

Elena looked at their fellow Turk and her heart broke. He was so thin. Reno had always been on the slightly scrawny side but he was dangerously thin right now- it had taken a firm lecture from one of the nurses to get him to start eating a little more. He had been wearing the same shirt for three days and hadn't bathed in twice that long. Dark circles were under his eyes and his hair stuck up wild and disheveled. She remembered well the warning the doctor had given all of them regarding Reno several weeks ago- that he was in as much danger as Rufus was, that the chances of Reno dying from the shock or loss of Rufus was just as great as Rufus dying from his injuries. Those thoughts passed through her mind once more as she looked at the red head clinging to the hand of the man he respected, admired, and loved.

Rude and Tseng stood near the foot of the bed, silent, watchful, and still. Elena stood beside Reno , a hand resting gently on his shoulder as he knelt beside the bed still. The doctor made his way to the other side, scanning the printouts and checking the various monitors, his brow knitted together in concentration.

"I told you," Reno said firmly. "I told you he would wake up."

Rude just glanced at the doctor without a word, waiting for him to speak and let them know what was really going on. He had worked with the red head for many years and knew that at times Reno could jump to conclusions and as desperate as he was getting he could have very well created in his mind the event he wanted to have happen more than anything.

The seconds ticked by painfully slow as all four pairs of eyes were fixed on the doctor. Slowly he looked up from the ream of paper that he had been scanning and looked at them all, his eyes finally resting on Reno .

"It seems that there is a change. I can't say for sure yet what it is, or what exactly it means for where we are now. But it is safe to say that there is a change… we just have to wait now and see what happens."

"He's going to wake up," Reno said simply.

"He may, but he may not, Reno ," Tseng said, an uncharacteristic softness to his voice. "You have to prepare yourself for the worse."

"I know he's going to wake up… you'll see. Rufus is going to wake up."

Elena looked over at Tseng who just shrugged his shoulders slightly. Rude simply tugged at the gloves on his hands, his glasses having already been removed and slipped into his shirt pocket.

"I need to review some of these print outs. I will let you know as soon as I find out anything else. I promise Reno " the doctor said as he gathered up the papers and left the room.

Rude, Elena, and Tseng stayed in the room for a while, Rude taking his place beside the window, his large frame blocking most of the dim light that filtered through. Tseng sat in the chair by the foot of the bed while Elena sat down in the chair Reno had been sitting in. The red head still knelt on the floor, the hand firmly in his grasp as he watched the face closely, waiting for those bright blue eyes to open.

The minutes turned to hours and the hours passed slowly. Elena started to doze off in the chair; Rude leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest as his head dropped to his chest, and Tseng remained still and silent at the foot of the bed. Reno 's head lay against the bed as his eyes were finally closing in sleep as he was talking to Rufus, trying to draw him out of the darkness that held him.

Somewhere in the darkness he heard a voice. It sounded familiar, though… he couldn't exactly place who it was or where he knew it from. All he knew was it was familiar and annoying. He wanted to tell the person who owned that voice to shut up and let him sleep. That was all he wanted to do, sleep… sleep and never wake up... and he would have been able to do it if it wasn't for that damned annoying voice. It grated on his nerves, making him twitch. It forced him to wake up and he became aware of things he hadn't been before- like the steady hum and beep from some unseen source. He felt aches and pain in his arms and legs though he was unable to move them. He could, however, move his hands and when he did he could feel something there- something warm and firm that covered his hand. But always that voice… just when it fell silent and he started to get comfortable it would start up again, just when he would start to drift back into the welcoming darkness that voice would wake him up again, driving all possibility of sleep from him. Even now he heard the voice, soft and faint but he heard it none the less.

Slowly the hand tightened around his, causing Reno to stir slightly in his sleep. Reno lifted his head slightly and looked at Rufus, knowing now for certain he wasn't imagining things.

"Hey boss" he said softly. "Feel like joining us finally and waking up?"

The head which had remained motionless for so long started to turn, the mouth parting slightly. A faint whisper of a voice was barely heard over the noise of the machines. To Reno , however, it might as well have been an ear piercing scream he heard it so clearly.

"Just… shut… up.."

Reno's head shot up off the bed as he sat straight up.

"Rufus!" he cried out, jolting Tseng, Rude, and Elena from their dazed slumbers.

All eyes were on the form in the bed as they crowded around. Reno watched closely as he saw the brilliant blue sparkle from under fluttering lashes as the eyes opened slowly. Blinking slightly, face reflecting confusion and annoyance Rufus looked up at Reno and closed his eyes, hand lifting to his face weakly.

"Don't you ever… shut up Reno ?" he said with a sigh.

Reno felt tears form in his eyes, his face breaking into a wide grin.

"You know me boss… I never shut up."


	3. Chapter 3

Rufus' hand slowly lifted to his eyes, fingers brushing over the bandages that still covered one eye. He tried to move his other hand but it wouldn't move; wiggling his fingers against the sheets was the best he could manage. Everything hurt. Muscles that had not been used in over a year were almost none existent now and joints protests loudly against any and every movement. The light stung and made his head throb. Voices, spoken in lowered hushed tones, sounded insanely loud to his ears. Even if voice sounded different to him- like it was someone else's all together.

"What… what happened?" he asked his words slow and halting.

Reno had reluctantly let go of his hand as he pulled away and rubbed his eyes. He watched every move, trying to make himself calm down. He looked from Rufus to each of his fellow Turks still gathered around the bed. His eyes met Tseng's and he nodded, telling the dark haired Turk he needed to be the one to tell Rufus what had happened.

"What do you remember, Sir?" he asked, his voice hesitant. This was the moment of truth; now was when they would find out how much Rufus remembers and how much of his memory had been lost.

Rufus furrowed his brow as he lowered his hand and closed his eyes. He thought, the blurred images coming in snippets and unclear waves.

"I remember being in my office… there was a battle or something… going on." Rufus turned his head and looked at Reno . "I remember you… Reno … trying to get me to leave for some reason."

Reno let go of the breath he had been holding. He remembered him.. and remembered at least bits up to the attack.

"After that… it's all dark. I only remember snippets. There was fire and I was trapped under something. I couldn't move and I couldn't see hardly anything but fire and smoke. After that… there's nothing."

Silence hung in the room for a moment and then Rufus turned and looked at Tseng again.

"What exactly happened, Tseng?"

"It was AVALANCHE, Sir. They attacked the ShinRa Tower while you were still in your office. Reno had been there, but he left when you turned him out of the office, refusing to leave."

"AVALANCHE?" Rufus muttered the name over several times. "That's the ex-Soldier Cloud's group right?"

Tseng nodded slowly and then continued.

"The tower was left in ruin, there was nothing left of the floors above your office. Rude and Reno were there as soon as we could get them there- the building was still smoking as they searched for you."

Reno nodded slowly as Rufus looked at him, those images of the destruction and the fear that had gripped his heart was still all too real.

"It took us forever to find you," he said softly. "Rude and I searched for over an hour. There was so much debris; everything from the top floors had fallen down, making everything a mangled mess. By some miracle, we found you in the one corner of the office that wasn't burned to a crisp."

"And… my injuries?" Rufus asked slowly, his eyes focusing on the one hand that he could barely move, safe for a twitching finger.

"They were pretty bad" Reno said slowly, watching his boss' face closely as he spoke. "You were pinned beneath one of the support beams, and it took us a while to get you out. You had bad burns on your face and back which took a while to heal but the doctors did a good job. A chunk of the glass from your window was embedded in you back and that gave us some concern and problems but it's healed as well for the most part. ShinRa has been trying to rebuild since then…" Reno 's voice trailed off as he looked down at the floor. He didn't want to shock Rufus by dumping all the bad news on him all at once, but there was no way he could hide any of it from him either.

"And this?" he asked as his hands traced along the bandages that wound around his head and eye and wrapped around his neck.

Reno 's eyes met Rude's for a minute and the large man nodded Reno on.

"After the attack, there was a huge upheaval in the LifeStream. Life was hell for all of us for a long time, and we weren't really sure if the planet would recover from it. I guess in a way it still hasn't fully recovered even now. Anyways, about six months after the disaster, a new disease started to emerge. No one's sure exactly what causes it to infect the people it does, but we are fairly certain it has something to do with the upheaval of the LifeStream. They call it geostigma. For some reasons it only attacks certain people, and manifests itself in black blotches on the skin. It can manifest on any part of the body. A few months ago, you began showing signs of the geostigma on your face and neck- that's what it is." Reno fell silent a moment before he spoke again. "There… there currently is no cure for it."

"And what about the company?" Rufus asked as he tried to push himself up higher on the pillows but could barely move.

"ShinRa has basically ceased to exist since the disaster. Without you, there was nothing to keep the company together and keep it running."

"You couldn't deal without me Tseng? I thought I had trained you all better than that. How could the company have fallen in just a month or two?"

Eyes darted around the room, the Turks glancing at each other uneasily. He thought it was only a few weeks when in reality it had been a year….

Rufus looked at them questioningly, and he noticed something strange. Tseng's hair was a lot longer than he remembered it being... and so was Reno's, and his pony tail was gone as well. Rude had grey stubble on his chin, and even Elena looked older in some ways. His gaze met Reno's and he held the red head's eyes.

"Reno, how long was I out?"

"Rufus…" he said, trying to think of the easiest way to break the news to him.

"Reno, tell me" he said firmly.

"It's been a year and a few days, Rufus."

"A year?"

Reno nodded quietly, carefully watching Rufus' reaction.

The blond laid his head back and lifting the one hand he had control over, covered his face and sighed. Elena spoke for the first time since Rufus had awaken as she laid a hand on Tseng's shoulder lightly and looked to Rude.

"Let him rest. I'll go notify the doctor that he's awake."

Rude nodded in silent agreement and turned and followed after Elena. Tseng remained and looked down at Reno who was kneeling beside the bed.

"Stay with him, Reno," he said simply, knowing there was no need for the order, the red head had barely left the man's side in a year, and he wasn't bound to be leaving any time soon.

Reno nodded, his eyes still fixed on Rufus as he heard the door close, leaving them alone in the room. As he knelt there, the memory of the last time Rufus had spoken to him once again entered his mind.

Rufus had been sitting at his desk, going through piles and piles of paperwork that he had once again let get out of hand. The warning had already been given and AVALANCHE was poised and ready to attack. All that day Rufus had stayed in his office, making plans, refusing to leave.

"Rufus, come on, we gotta get out of here before it's too late…"

"I'm not leaving Reno. I am no coward to be chased from my own empire like a scared rabbit." Rufus had looked up at his body guard with blazing eyes. "I am staying right here."

"Sometimes it is the rabbit who runs who avoids being killed" Reno said simply, his eyes holding the same stubborn glare his boss' eyes held.

"If you want to run then run, the door is right there."

Reno had stood there a moment, in the middle of the office, and stared at Rufus. Setting his jaw he walked over to the desk and slammed his hands down on the top, sending the papers Rufus had been working on scattering to the ground. Rufus jumped slightly and glared at the red head.

"It is no shame to run away Rufus. There is no shame in protecting yourself so you can continue on. What good is there in being killed for the sake of honor, when you can no longer do the work you have been doing?"

Reno walked around behind the desk and grabbed Rufus' arm.

"We are going Rufus... now!"

Anger flashed in those brilliant blue eyes as he jerked his arm away, his hand flying back, hitting the Turk across the face. Reno staggered back his face turned away. Slowly he turned and faced Rufus, his eyes bright with anger and pain.

"I am not leaving" Rufus said simply.

"And I won't let you stay."

"Well, you will have to get use to it, Reno. You are a Turk, bound to the ShinRa company. My word is law and I order you to leave."

The red head stood, his shoulders square as he met the eyes of the man he admired, respected, and loved.

"Then I resign. I surrender the title of Turk and am no longer bound to obey you. We are leaving Rufus. Right now."

Rufus stared at the red head in disbelief for a moment. When Reno grabbed his arm again we jerked back, striking the red head again and catching his arm as he swung back the EMR.

"Then, I dismiss you from my services Reno formerly of the Turks."

With one last swing he sent Reno sliding across the floor of the office. Walking over, he grabbed the red head by the back of the collar and drug him to the door. Opening it, he threw him out into the hall way and closed the door in Reno's face as he ran back towards him.

He ignored the red head's banging and shouting, ignored the pleas, and sat down at the desk again. How long Reno stayed outside the door he didn't know, but finally, everything fell silent and he put his head in his hands.

Reno stayed outside the office, pleading with Rufus to leave while there was still time. It wasn't until he got a call from Tseng, telling him that they needed him, that AVALANCHE was about to launch their final attack, that he reluctantly left the doorway and hurried down to join the others.

Reno blinked as the memory faded away once more. They knew he had resigned, Rude, Tseng, and Elena knew- but they also knew that in his heart the red head never would be able to leave them.. leave him. Rufus groaned as he slowly lowered his hand and turned to look at Reno.

"What are you doing here still? I thought you quit" he said bitterly.

Reno didn't have an answer; the tone and look Rufus had given him cut him right to the quick. Reno stared at Rufus for a moment, the bite of the words and tone not hurting as much as the look of sheer loathing he saw in the blonde's eye. Though the one was still covered in the white bandages, the brilliant blue of the other one shone brightly. A noise from the balcony caught Rufus' attention and he turned his head. It sounded like something between a growl and a purr, as if some animal was outside on the balcony.

"What was that?" he asked his eyes darting over to Reno, his one eye squinted in confusion.

Reno stood and walked over to the sliding glass doors that lead out onto the balcony. Sliding the doors open, a cool breeze filled the room, blowing the blinds softly, as the evening light filtered in, casting Reno's shadow on the ground. A slight rumble came from the balcony and another shadow joined Reno's on the floor of the hospital room. A long sleek shadow stretched across the floor, and a massive black paw landed beside Reno's foot. The Turk barely flinched; he had grown use to the "roommate" who shared the balcony, being just as loyal to Rufus as he was. Rufus lifted his head as he looked towards the window.

"Dark Nation.." he whispered softly as a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

The huge black panther leapt from his spot beside Reno and in two bounds was beside the bed. Dark Nation's huge paws were on the edge of the bed, causing the bed to creek and lean slightly. His huge head nuzzled against Rufus and an uncharacteristic purring sound was coming from deep within his chest. Slowly Rufus lifted his hand and laid it on the massive head, scratching behind the ears.

Reno stood and observed the sight with a mix of wonder and betrayal. He had lived with that panther for a year and the two had a less than friendly relationship. Dark Nation had to be kept on the balcony most times because he wouldn't let anyone near Rufus. Rude was the only one who could control the beast and Reno hated the times the panther was allowed in the room with Rufus; he kept to himself and stayed in his chair, not daring to get in the way. Over time, they had developed a mutual tolerance for each other but that was as far as it went. As he stood there watching Dark Nation, reunited with his master, Reno felt a twinge of pain in his chest. Rufus' eye shone bright and there was a ghost of a smile on his face as the large pink tongue wetted his cheek. He loved the damned panther more than he did him.

"Never thought Dark Nation would make any noise other than a growl," he said with a weak laugh, trying to lighten his mood somewhat.

"As stupid and annoying as ever I see," Rufus said with a huff.

Reno felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had been on the receiving end of Rufus' taunts and insults since his first day as a Turk; it was part of the game…

Around the others, Rufus kept up the cold hard demeanor and played the part of the arrogant stuck up boss who took joy in ordering his Turks around. When they were alone, it was a different story all together. When it was just the two of them, except for the rare cases, Rufus was a different person. He let the hard exterior fall and the harsh biting words were replaced by kinder words, spoken in soft whispers. Where there would have been a cold shoulder and harsh word, there was a kind whisper as his fingers twirled the strands of Reno's long ponytail. Reno would usually say something cocky, earning him a tug from Rufus, which only brought him closer. There was no protocol when it was just them, no rules, no hierarchy, no standard that told them what they could and couldn't do. They could be who they were- who they had to hide from the world that would never be able to accept such a miss matched couple.

That was what Reno remembered about the times he and Rufus had together. That was what he had been yearning for again, for over a year. Now, when he finally thought everything would be right again, it was getting dashed before his eyes. The words of the doctor, spoken so many times, came back to him again, his warning that Rufus might not be the same man he was before the accident ringing clearly in his ears.

"I… I was worried about you, Rufus…" he said slowly as he cautiously reached a hand out and laid it over his.

It was the little things that made their times together special. The way Rufus would absent mindedly play with his ponytail or the way Reno would hold his hand. It was the little things.

"Don't bother; I don't need the help from someone like you."

Reno blinked slightly and stared dumbfounded at Rufus. The blonde turned his back to the red head as he jerked his hand away from the gentle grasp.

"Rufus, I…"

"Shut up Reno… just get out."

Slowly Reno stood to his feet, staring at the back of the man he had kept vigil over for more than a year as he felt hot tears burn his eyes. He glared at Rufus' back and then turned quickly and stormed towards the door. As he passed the table by the bed, his hand flew out, knocking off the little plushy Moogle that had been placed there almost a year ago by one of the nurses. The little Moggle flew across the room hitting the floor with a little "kupo" and bouncing a few times. Reno stopped and stared at it a moment and then turned, slamming the door behind him.

Once he was in the hallway, he leaned against the wall, eyes closed as he fought back the tears he felt drip onto his cheeks. Sliding down the wall slowly he sat on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest as he wrapped his arms around them tightly and cried. It felt like an eternity, the minutes ticking by painfully slow, but in fact it had only been a few minutes when he heard the voice. The soft gently voice of Elena.

"Reno… Reno what's wrong?" she asked as she knelt down beside her fellow Turk and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's Rufus.." Reno chocked out.

"It he alright?" Elena asked softly, knowing there was probably more to what had the red head so upset.

"He.. he sent me away, Elena…" Reno looked up at her, his face wet with tears. "He doesn't want me around…" He trailed off as a sob caught in his throat.

"Oh Reno…"

Elena put her arms around the red head as he clung to her and sobbed. She held him close, silent, there was nothing that could be said. She could only imagine what was going through the red head's mind right now. Having waited for so long, fighting against fear and hopelessness, to finally have him wake up, she had been afraid Reno would die from the shock. Yet now, in less than 12 hours, everything had been reversed and had come crashing down on Reno. Rufus was alive yet might as well be dead. Elena knew the red head would never give up, but the shock to his system over the last day, actually the last few days, it was a miracle he had not already collapsed. She knelt there holding him close until he could cry no more.

Glancing over the messy red hair he looked to Rude who had been standing a little ways away behind Reno the entire time, watching in his silent way. He own eyes were blurred with tears as she met the eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. She knew why Rude wore them all the time- to hide how he was feeling, so he could be the strong one that they all needed- that Reno needed now. Elena looked down at Reno who lay against her, eyes closed, hands weakling clinging to her jacket, breath coming in shallow gasps. Rude nodded as he walked over and knelt down, taking Reno into his arms.

He lifted him easily, too easily. Reno had always been small and on the somewhat scrawny side, but he weighed next to nothing now, and it shocked Rude just how light and weak he was. Standing to his feet he looked down at Elena and turned, slowly walking down the hall, carrying his partner in his arms while his other partner followed behind slowly, brushing the stray tear from her eye.

A short time later, they were back at Reno's, the red head laying in his own bed, which had not been occupied in over a year. Despite the lack of a tenant, the small home was in relatively good shape. That was thanks to Rude, who, having been a roommate of Reno's for several years had stayed there and kept the place up for the past year.

Elena stood by the bed, her fingers playing with the cuff of her jacket in nervous worry. Rude laid Reno down on the bed and stood still and silent. He looked so thin laying there, almost the way Rufus had looked for so long. Reno had survived a year of waiting, hoping, praying, and watching… the question now was, could he handle the truth and reality that had just been forced upon him?


	4. Chapter 4

Three days. It had been three days since Rufus had opened his eyes. Three days since Reno 's world had been turned upside down, inside out, and dumped on top of him. Three days of hell- for all of them.

The red head spent those 72 hours in bed, his sleep- the first he had gotten in almost as many hours- plagued by nightmares and pain. His body as so weak, his mind so worn, and his spirit so broken that he fell into the darkness and let it consume him totally. His sleep was restless yet he hardly woke in those long hours as Elena kept watch over him. The petite blond had always had a soft spot for the red head- she looked at him like a brother; they had been through a lot together and it was killing her to see him like this.

Whether it was simply sitting up during the worst part of the night in case he needed her or holding him close when he woke from the nightmares that plagued his sleep, she was there. When the darkness took hold of him and he was lost to sleep, she would sit beside the bed, his hand held in hers gently.

The first 24 hours Reno did not move. The only movement from the bed was the steady rise and fall of his chest and the soft whispers of empty words from his nightmare plagued dreams. It was that night, as Elena kept watch, that she realized something. Despite there being only a few years between them, she looked at her fellow Turk as a younger brother. Smiling sadly she leaned over and laid her hand on the red head's forehead; he was cool to the touch.

Standing to her feet she, she walked over and hunted through the closet on the other end of the room, searching for another blanket. Rude had done a decent job keeping the place up the past year, but he still had the organizational skills of most men. Finally, she found a small throw blanket and brought it back, carefully pulling it over Reno 's sleeping form. Slowly standing up she looked down at him and as she turned to go back and start reorganizing the closet she felt a hand grab hers weakly. She looked down into soft grey eyes as Reno looked up at her.

" Reno , how are you feeling?" she asked softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed and held his hand gently.

"Like shit" the red head groaned as he pushed himself up slightly.

"Just rest, Reno . You need to rest."

"Rufus…"

"Rufus is fine. The others are taking care of him. It's you we are worried about right now, Reno ."

Elena looked down at her partner, fear, sadness, and guilt gripping at her. Fear over what the future held for not just Reno and Rufus but for all of them. Sadness over what Reno was going through and how powerless any of them were to truly help. And guilt because of the times she should have made Reno leave in the past year before he got the way he was now. Taking a deep breath she pushed it all from her mind; dwelling on the past and getting lost in it would do nothing for them now.

"Take care of him, Elena…the old Rufus is in there somewhere… I know it…"

Reno laid his head back as his eyes closed slowly. Elena leaned forward and laid a gentle hand on the side of his face.

"Just rest Reno …"

She sat there watching as the red head fell back into the darkness, his breathing growing slower. Gently she laid a hand on his chest, feeling the heart beat beneath her hand, as it slowly reached a more even and calm beat. For a long while she sat there, until she was sure he was deep in sleep, then stood to her feet and pulled her cell phone from her pocket. With a glance over her shoulder at Reno , still asleep, she put the phone to hear ear as she heard the voice on the other line.

"Rude… Tseng… it's me. It's still pretty bad… how's Rufus?"

"Doing as well as can be expected. He had another breakdown last night, got pretty intense."

" Reno again?" Elena asked her voice quiet.

"Yeah, one minute begging to see him, the next cussing us out for mentioning his name."

"Tseng, Reno woke up a little while ago."

"What happened?" Tseng's voice betrayed the urgency he felt.

"All he's asking about is Rufus. He's convinced that the Rufus from a year ago is still there somewhere and will come back…I can't help but wonder that myself."

"Elena, I told you. You cannot get caught up in Reno 's hopeless dreams. The Rufus that Rude and I deal with every night is who he is now. What Reno remembers…"

"What Reno remembers is someone he loved and someone who loved him back!"

"Elena, they were employer and employee. We cannot let our decisions be based on the whims of an individual when the best medical minds available are telling us how things are. I know it hurts you to see Reno like this, it's the same for all of us, but we cannot base our decisions on his whimsical thoughts and emotions. There was nothing there Elena, it was in Reno 's head."

"Tseng you know that is not true. You know as well as any of us how close they were. It wasn't a secret. All of us could see it, if we took the time to look. Maybe it was fear or uncertainty, or maybe jealousy or something else- but whatever it was, it blinded you to be able to see what the two of them had. Why can you not understand what Reno is feeling and going through?"

"Because I do not see the good it will do to let Reno get close to Rufus again. He went a year without him and it nearly killed all of us. The Rufus who we see now is NOT the Rufus that Reno remembers. What is the point in letting him get hurt again? Reno should have nothing to do with him, Elena."

"He had the one person he cared for and loved the most taken from him, waiting a year for him, and now that Rufus is alive you keep Reno away from him! Why, Tseng?"

"Because there is no good that can come from it. If the Rufus of now is who he is permanently then Reno will die from the shock- actually it's a miracle he has not died already. If the old Rufus is dead and gone, what good can be done by letting Reno get his hopes up?"

"But what if the old Rufus is still there? Do we just give up all hope and admit defeat? Do we throw our hands up and walk away, walk away from the life we all know- that you knew- for so long?"

"I know this isn't easy for you Elena. I know how close you were to Reno … you want to see him happy again. We all want that. We all want to see things go back the way they were a year ago, but we have to be honest."

"I am being honest, Tseng. I think you are the one who is deceiving yourself by not allowing yourself to admit that you are afraid of what will happen, Tseng."

"Elena…"

"Just shut up Tseng. I don't want to hear anymore tough talk about how this is how things are and we should just accept it. Reno won't stop fighting. You know this, and you are going to kill him faster by keeping him away than Rufus could!"

Elena flipped the phone shut and dropped it onto the table as she walked back to the bed and sat down in the chair, watching Reno sleep. She glanced at her watch. It was midnight, yet strangely, she didn't feel tired at all…

Tseng and Rude sat in the small apartment that now served as the makeshift headquarters for the remnant of the ShinRa Company. They had salvaged what files they could and any of the paperwork each one had been in possession of was now kept in Tseng's apartment. This night, he and Rude had spent long hours debating what the future held for them, ShinRa, and the empire. Neither one wanted to give up, but both were logical thinkers, being unable to ignore the glaring obstacles that were facing them, but things were not going well at all though, on any front. They had left the hospital around 10, making their way to the apartment; there was much they needed to discuss. Their experience that same evening with Rufus had presented many more questions- ones which had little to no answer readily available to them. That was when Elena had called. Rude sat silent, as always, listening to the conversation on the speaker phone. Several times Tseng had glanced over at him, seeking his support in dealing with Elena, yet he remained silent as ever. Tseng closed his phone and set it on the table as he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Thanks for leaving me high and dry Rude" he said bitterly.

"I will talk to her," was Rude's simple reply.

Tseng shook his head and glanced over the papers that were in the open file in front of him.

"So, about this" he said picking up one of the files. "If there is any hope for ShinRa to recover, we have to deal with them."

Tseng dropped the file onto the table between them, the pages falling open to a list of names and dates. At the top, in bold red letters it read "AVALANCHE".

"They do pose a problem," Rude said, pushing the sunglasses farther up on his nose. "You want to try and contact them?"

"We have to do something. They don't exactly have the friendliest relations with us, or us with them. But if there is any hope of rebuilding what we had…" Tseng trailed off as he rubbed his head, the pounding in his skull driving him crazy.

Rude nodded slowly as he picked up the file and scanned the names and information listed. The names were familiar to all of them. Cloud Strife. Vincent Valentine. Zack Fair. Aerith Gainsborough. Tifa Lockheart. Barret Wallace. Red XIII. Cid Highwinds. Cait Sith. Yuffie Kisaragi.

"Who will initiate contact with them?"

Tseng looked over at the large man in front of him. He knew, just as well as Rude, that there was only one person who had enough connections with them to be the one to make the call…

"We will wait for him to recover," Tseng said simply and Rude nodded in agreement.


	5. Chapter 5

Three Turks stood in the large comfortable room of the hospital, eahc one with a look of panic and uncertainty on his or her face. Rufus was having another one of his episodes. They were never pretty but this one was looking to be rather nasty.

"I don't want to ever see or hear of him ever again! Do you hear me Tseng? Never mention his name to me again! He is nothing but a pathetic excuse for a Turk, I don't now why I ever even took him on!"

"But Sir.." Elena said, somewhat hesitantly but firmly. " Reno 's just trying to…"

"I said never, Elena!" Reno yelled as he glared at the petite blonde, his eyes shinning brightly in anger.

Elena recoiled slightly, and felt Rude's hand on the back of her arm.

"Elena, why don't you go," he said simply as he reached up and pulled off the sunglasses.

Elena nodded and turned and quickly left the room. As the door closed behind her she noticed how fast her heart was beating. Making her way down the hallway, she said a silent prayer that things wouldn't get out of hand tonight. It had been a rough day for Rufus, and the night wasn't looking like it was going to be any better.

Rufus ShinRa himself, one time the most powerful, wealthiest, and most influential person in arguably the world, was having a hard time adjust to being back in the world of the wakeful living. Being unconscious for over a year had a way of messing a person up. The once lean toned muscles had long since atrophied, joints had now grown stiff, and movement became difficult at best. Nerves, which had long been unfeeling, now were hyper sensitive and the lightest touch became painful. It was not uncommon in the nights for Rufus to be in pain simply from the feel and weight of the sheet over his skin. Every sense was on edge and was sending his brain into overload. Doctors poked and prodded, running test after test, when all Rufus wanted was to be left alone. The real trouble had started in the early afternoon, when one of the doctors wanted to get yet another vial of blood for some tests.

"Just need one vial today, Rufus" the doctor said as he flipped through the charts in his hand.

"Vampire…" Rufus muttered ad he remained unmoving, his back turned to him.

The hospital staff had long since learned to ignore most of Rufus' snide remarks and insults. His cold bitter personality had only increased exponentially since he had awoken.

"Come on, the longer you stay stubborn the longer I will have to stand here bothering you."

Rufus didn't move or make any sign of recognition. With a slight sigh, the doctor walked over and gently took Rufus' arm. In almost the exact instant, Rufus's arm, the one he had full use of, swung out, striking the doctor in the face. All it took was the cry of alarm and the sound of the ensuing scuffle and Rude and Tseng were in the room. It was when they saw he had grabbed the doctor's shirt collar with his good hand, the other still unable to move, and threatened the doctor, they knew they might need to do something to calm him down and make things a little less painful for him. Rude grabbed Rufus' arms and pulled him off the doctor, his boss fighting with every bit of strength he had, shouting and cussing the entire time. Tseng helped the doctor to his feet and less than gently moved him towards the door. Closing the door, Tseng turned and looked at Rufus, still struggling in vain against the much stronger man who held him back.

"Rude, let me go! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Rufus shouted as he tried to pull free. "Let me go!"

"No," Was all Rude would reply.

"Rufus, stop it!" Tseng said, much like he was scolding a child who was throwing a temper tantrum. "Snap out of it!"

"Tseng, order him to release me!"

"Rude, hold him."

"What the fuck do you think you are doing, Tseng!?!? I said let me go!"

"Rufus, look at you! Look at what you are doing, to yourself, to those who are trying to help you… to those who care about you."

"Elena… and Reno …" Rude said simply.

"I don't give a fuck about them. None of you understand or care. You never have!"

"Rufus, why the hell would we still be here if we didn't?"

Rufus just sneered maliciously as he lowered his head, his eyes angled up to look at Tseng through the blond hair that skirted his eyes. Rude saw something flash in Tseng's eyes and he felt Rufus stiffen slightly. In the next moment, Tseng's hand flew back and fell, striking Rufus' face.

Rufus went limp in Rude's arms as the large man kept him up on his feet. Lifting his head, he looked at Tseng who stood there, fists clenched at his sides, breath heavy, and a pained look on his face.

"Don't make me do it again, Rufus."

Rude got Rufus back to the bed as the doctor timidly opened the door and peered in. Several of the staff gathered around the bed as Tseng remained in that spot.

"Don't make me do it again, Rufus… please," he thought as he closed his eyes and reached for the cell phone in his pocket.

He made a quick call to Elena to let her know they were ok. She told him that Reno was awake and she would give him an update in a few hours. Slipping the phone back into the pocket of his jacket, he watched as the doctors worked and debated about what to do. He joined Rude and the head doctor by the doorway.

"We can't sedate him. If we do, he could very easily slip back into a comma, and he might never wake up."

"But we cant keep on like this, none of us can. Rude and I can barely control him when he gets like this," Tseng said. "If he was to ever do that to Reno or Elena.."

"He's right," Rude said quietly.

The doctor scratched the back of his neck as he tried to think of what they could do. They couldn't fully sedate him but perhaps there was something else that could be done.

"What we can do is give him a mild sedative… Along with something to help with the pain, it should help a great deal, without risking him slipping too far."

So it was, Rufus had been put on an IV Drip of various concoctions, which seemed to help somewhat. His condition was poor at best and what bothered everyone most was the drastic change in attitude. They had seen it time and time again and the current episode was just the final nail on the coffin. While it was to be expected, the extreme nature of it was shocking even some of the seasoned doctors. An hour later, Elena arrived to see how they were fairing.

"I've seen cases of personality change in patients before…" the doctor said as he stood before Rude, Tseng, and Elena. "However, I haven't seen anything this extreme before."

"How so?" Rude asked simply.

"Usually personality changes are small. They either cover a isolated area of the personality- such as temperament, emotions, or such. For example, someone who before was a needy touch based person who loved personal contact with people might become withdrawn and reclusive. Someone who was easy going and level headed, always keeping their cool, could become rash, hot headed, and short tempered. That is what I normally see in these cases- and cases such as these are rare to begin with. Rufus however... he has had what I would almost call a total personality change."

"Meaning more than just one area?" Elena said simply.

"Exactly. From what I know and have been told by you all, Rufus was once what people would call an exceptional leader. Bright, sharp, and wise he had a good head on his shoulders. He was in control of his emotions and never let them overpower him. He could be cold and cruel at times but also was quiet and even tempered, never letting feelings take control or letting his actions be governed by impulses. An astute businessman he spoke with authority and direction. The man who is in that room now is not the Rufus of the ShinRa company a year ago."

"He has changed," Tseng said imply, "but has it been that radical of a change?"

"I'm afraid it has. Despite you all being faithful to him these three days since he awoke, you have not been here every hour of the day. You have seen some but there is also a lot you have missed. Many times Rufus falls into a violent personality. He will lash out- verbally and physically at time. He will withdraw one moment and then be on the verge of tears the next. In the morning he may push away any attempt to get him to talk and then by lunch he is calling to us and wont let us leave he is so desperate for someone to be there."

"I've seen that" Rude said simply. "Just today he wanted to know where Reno was when I came by and then a few hours later, when Elena came by to talk to him, he said he never wanted to see Reno again."

The doctor nodded somberly and the others also shared their brief encounters with the new Rufus.

"So, is this something permanent or is it going to go away in time?" Elena asked softly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

The doctor sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at each one gathered around.

"I wish I could say. I have never seen anything like this in all my years… I don't know what is going to go on from here. I'm afraid… all we can do, yet again, is wait. Right now, my suggestion to you is keep on talking to him. He may snap out of it. Its not unheard of for someone to flip back to their old personalities. However, I must warn you all to prepare yourselves, that this might be who Rufus is now. And the same for your red headed friend."

"Speaking of the red head, how is he doing, Elena?" Tseng asked as he looked at Elena.

She looked so tired and worn out- they all did. Tseng's hair was unwashed and out of place for the first time in like, years. Rude's beard was getting a little on the shabby side. Even Elena looked thin and had dark circles under her eyes.

"He's holding out… his strength is coming back, which is good. But…"

"But?" Tseng asked, already knowing what the answer was.

"He wants to see Rufus."

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

It had taken a lot to keep Reno away. The red head had gained back a good bit of his strength, and still every though and every word was about Rufus. He would grill Rude, Tseng, and Elena for information about Rufus every time he saw them. Eventually they broke down and called for a meeting with Rufus' main doctor.

"Are you sure this is what you really want?" the doctor asked a she stood at the door with Rude and Tseng.

Rufus lay in the bed, propped up with several pillows, various I.V.s and sensors hooked up. He had been getting stronger over the last few days and seemed to be doing well with the morphine drip. The Oxazepam sedatives were keeping him calm and mellowed. Tseng glanced over to Rufus then back to Rude who nodded.

"Yes. This needs to be done," Rude said simply.

"I don't like it any more than you doc," Tseng said as he ran his hand through his hair, "but there's no avoiding it. Reno will not rest until he sees Rufus again."

"I understand, but you do realize what could happen, based on the last time they saw each other."

"We are aware."

"Yes we are" Tseng sad as he looked at Rude, wishing his partner would help him out a little more in the dialogue department. "However, Rufus has calmed down a good bit since then, and Reno has gotten a good bit of his strength left. I think, at this point and time, that we are only making it worse by waiting any longer."

Tseng saw Rude grin slightly. The baldheaded Turk knew good and well what is had taken to convince Tseng of that. Elena could be quite persistent and very persuasive when it came to something she firmly thought or believed. They had exchanged less than friendly words several times and had finally reached an agreement. Tseng would allow Reno to see Rufus whenever he wanted, but Elena had to promise not to encourage Reno along. They both had agreed- it was up to Reno and Rufus now to determine what was going to become of their relationship.

Tseng was brought out his thoughts as Rude walked to the door and opened it slowly.

" Reno , come on in" he said as he gave his partner a warm smile.

The read head walked in, Elena by his side, her hand on his shoulder lightly. He smiled slightly at Rude and then nodded to Tseng who simply nodded in return. His eyes briefly met the eyes of the doctor.

"How is he? How's Rufus?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern.

"He's fine Reno . He's resting right now," the doctor said as he glanced over at Tseng for a brief moment. "You can go over and see him if you want."

Reno looked over his shoulder at Elena who smiled and nodded, patting his shoulder.

"Go on Reno ," she said with a smile.

Reno grinned and half ran over to the bed. He looked down at the apparently sleeping form of Rufus. Sitting down into the chair beside the bed, Reno stared at him a moment, the biting words from their last encounter still ringing in his ears. Slowly he reached out a hand and laid it over Rufus. His hands were no longer cold and Reno smiled slightly.

"Hey boss, it's me, Reno ," he said softly.

Rufus turned slightly and blinked, his eyes unfocused for a moment. Then his eyes cleared and a hint of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. While Reno was half expecting him to pull away from him, Rufus instead slipped his hand into his and squeezed gently.

" Reno …. where the hell have you been?" Rufus asked as he looked up at the red head Turk who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"Oh you know me boss, goofing off as always" Reno said with a laugh as he reluctantly let go of Rufus' hand and sat back in the chair.

Rude nodded to Tseng and Elena and started towards the door. Elena smiled and gently took Tseng by the arm and led him out of the room. The doctor followed and closed the door behind him. Once they were alone Reno slipped out of the chair and sat on the edge of the bed beside Rufus. His eyes wandered over to the various machines and sensors; Rufus sighed.

"I feel like a bloody marionette sometimes- everybody trying to pull my strings…" He smirked slightly as he lifted his arm puppet like. His left arm still remained still, the use of it still not having fully returned, even now.

"Ah you are too opinionated to be a puppet- you never let anyone pull your strings," Reno said with a sarcastic laugh.

He looked at Rufus a moment, his soft grey eyes looking deeply into the piercing blue ones. All the bandages were gone and he could see those eyes in their full brilliance. He felt his heart do something in his chest and his vision grew blurry as he looked at Rufus.

" Reno ? What's wrong?"

"I thought… I had lost you Rufus..."

Rufus looked at the young man and lifted his hand and laid it on Reno 's shoulder as he looked into his eyes.

" Reno …" he said simply.

Reno ran his sleeve across his face, trying to hide the tears as he smiled. Nothing else mattered- the waiting, the hurting, the longing – none of it mattered. He wiped his eyes as he picked up the medical chart from the foot of the bed and flipped through it.

"You haven't been eating?"he asked in a mock tone of horror.

"If they bring me something worth eating I might actually consider trying it."

Reno had to laugh and Rufus joined him, the sound reaching the three Turks still waiting out in the hall. Elena smiled broadly at Tseng and Rude even grinned, but Tseng just still silent and unmoving at his spot against the wall.

"Well how about this," Reno said leaning over against the bed. "I will bring you something in that will be worth eating."

"You got yourself a deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Rude glanced over the file in his hand and sighed as he looked up at Tseng, who was sitting across the small table.

"So, where do we begin?"

"I thought that was obvious" Tseng said with a slightly irritate tone. "We have to initiate contact with them."

"Any idea where they have been hiding out?"

"Not a clue. No one has seen AVALANCHE for almost six months."

"Then how do we go about contacting them?"

"We have him make the call."

Rude looked down at the file in front of him as he scanned over the pages- Tifa Lockheart. AVALANCHE member. Primary contact source- He read down the page to the last line which made a reference to Reno's file.

"We have him make the call" Rude repeated simply.

"Do you think they will cooperate?"

"I doubt it Tseng, and I really can not blame them. Cooperation is asking a lot. However, I do think they will at least give us a chance to be heard. Tifa is fair and wise and Reno's known her for years. I think she will listen."

"Then we need to make the call. Where's Reno?"

"Where else would he be?"

"With the boss…"

Rude nodded as Tseng sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I saw him earlier when I stopped by his apartment on the way here. He was busy cooking and said he was going to see the boss. He's probably still there."

Tseng nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipped it open, and dialed Reno's number.

Reno was sitting on the foot of the bed laughing as he and Rufus talked and ate. He had made Rufus' favorite dishes, including the sushi he had become famous for. He had hoped Rufus would like it and he was relieved that so far, everything had gone perfectly. It was true he had changed, he wasn't exactly the same man Reno remembered form a year ago, but Reno had decided months ago that he would learn to live with it- he would take any Rufus, as long as he had him back. As they finished eating and Reno started gathering everything together, his phone started to ring.

"Oh for the love of…"

Reno grabbed the phone off the table and flipped it open.

"Yo. Yeah Tseng, things are good here. Listen, I really need to… What? Ummm… yeah. Ok… Ok I won't."

Reno hung up and felt Rufus' eyes on him.

"Tseng has another mission for me. I'm sorry Rufus. But I need to go" he whispered softly, watching the man before him closely.

"Then go. He needs you. ShinRa needs more like the four of you."

Reno nodded and gave a small smile. It was the closest thing to a direct compliment he would get, and he was grateful.

"You take it easy boss. I will be back soon- I promise."

"I know you will."

"There's still some sushi and fried rice left, Im leaving it here for you."

Rufus nodded, a soft smile on his face as Reno left, closing the door behind him. Reno stood there a moment and sighed then started down the hall at a light run.

"Tseng… this had better be bloody important…" he muttered as he left the hospital and ran down the street.

Tseng hung up the phone and glanced at Rude, who was cleaning off his sun glasses carefully.

"He's on his way."

Rude nodded silently as he slipped the shade back on.

"Seems Rufus is doing well. That's good. Reno will be more willing to help now."

"Tseng, just do me on thing alright? Don't lie to him. If we are going to use Reno to get in contact with AVALANCHE he deserves to know why. He is a Turk, same as any of us, and doesn't deserve to be used."

"Reno is no longer a Turk. He gave the position up over a year ago."

"Tseng, that's a load of crap and you know it! Reno may have said the words but you know as well as I do is possibly the most loyal of us all. Reno is a Turk, and I want you to treat him like one, not as a tool to be used and twisted. He is one of us."

"Alright, alright… I got the message Rude. You cans tip the lecture now."

Rude looked at the mane before him and nodded slowly. Just then, the door opened and Reno ran in, slightly out of breath.

"Alright.. Im here Tsneg. Whats going on? What's so… bloody important that I cant say anything to Rufus about it?"

"Reno, you remember Tifa don't you?"

Reno blinked slightly, that was not the question he was expecting to be asked.

"Tifa Lockheart? Y..yeah I remember her… but what does she…"

"She is the only contact we have for AVALANCHE."

"And why exactly do we want to contact them?"

"Because, if we want to have any chance and hope of saving ShinRa and our way of life, we need their help. Tifa is the one closest to Cloud, and we have only one way of contacting her."

"Me," Reno said simply as Tseng and Rude nodded silently. "So what exactly am I suppose to tell her?"

"That's what I called you for… now listen."

Tifa was busy at the bar cleaning up after a rather busy day. She was finishing whipping down the counters when the phone started ringing in the office upstairs.

"Never fails…." She muttered as she climbed the stairs and answered the phone on about the twelfth ring.

"Tifa… don't know if you remember me or not, its been a while. It's Reno."

"Yeah, I remember you," Tifa said with a slight grin and laugh in her voice. "Haven't heard from you in a while Reno, what's up?"

"Look, Tifa… I hate to have to ask but can you track down Cloud for me?"

"I would if I could Reno, but no one has heard from Cloud since he left a few months back."

There was silence for a moment.

"What about the others- Barret, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent?"

"Barret, Yuffie and Cid are around and so is Nanaki. Vincent has gone missing in action again."

"Tifa, could you get whoever from AVALANCHE will come together?"

"Reno, what's going on?"

"Tseng and Rude want to talk to you guys. It's all cool Tifa. Nothing's up, no tricks. We… we just need to talk to AVALANCHE."

The line went silent once more for a few minutes.

"We will even let you guys pick the meeting place Tifa."

"Alright, Reno."

A few minutes later Reno closed his phone and turned to face Rude and Tseng. He slipped it back into his pocket with a small nod.

"She agreed. She's going to see who is willing to meet with us and will call us with the meeting location."

"Very good," Tseng said as he started rearranging the papers in the file.

"Who do you think will show?'

"Anyone will be good at this point and time, Rude. Of course, I had hoped Cloud would be one of the ones there, but this is a start at least. Maybe Tifa can talk him into coming around and he can see that we are sincere."

"Tifa said she should be able to get two or three of the others to agree to meet and that she would call us and let us know."

"In that case, you are staying right here with us until she does. I want to know the instant she calls. The future of this company and our way of life depends on these meetings."

Reno sighed as his shoulders slumped slightly. He really didn't want to be trapped in the office with Tseng every moment of the day light hours until Tifa called back. He wanted to go back and see Rufus again… but he knew how important this was and he would do whatever he could to help.

Tseng turned his attention back to the papers in front of him. Rude took off his sunglasses, rubbed them with the corner of his shirt tail, and slipped them back on. Reno glanced back and forth between them and then sat down, leaned back in his chair, and propped his feet up on the table and waited.

"I don't like it Tida, I don't like it one damned bit!"

"Barret, I know this is difficult for you; it's not any easier for the rest of us. But we have to give them a chance."

"Why? What has ShinRa done that warrants us giving them another chance?"

Cid stood against the wall, spinning his staff in his hands as he looked at Tifa and Barret.

"Can't believe I am saying this but I agree with Tifa on this one Barret."

"I understand how you feel Barret, trust me I do" she said softly.

"What have these two-leggers done other than destroy the very planet they and the rest of us must live on?"

The three clanked tot eh corner at the far side of the room, where Nanaki sat. He sat tall and unmoving, save for his tail which twitched now and then, sending up a small twisting trail of smoke.

"Nanaki," Tifa said kindly as she walked over to him. "How can you, of all of us, be so quick to judge? Have we still not convinced you that not all of us two-leggers are evil?"

"Perhaps. I am a creature of the earth. I have no need for the things ShinRa makes. For me, for my kind, there is nothing the humans provide that we need. As such, it is hard for me to justify any action that destroys the very planet we live on."

Tifa sighed softly as she started to turn away.

"However, that does not mean I will not listen to what they have to say if it is what you want Tifa."

"Thank you Nanaki," she said with a big smile.

"Well, I still am not convinced!" Barret said as he turned towards the door and stopped his back to the others. "I have spent too much of my life fighting ShinRa and trying to reclaim my life. I can't do this Tifa. Not right now. I'm sorry."

Barret looked at Tifa for a moment then turned and left, the door closing behind him.

"That makes two no's" Tifa said softly. "Yuffie wont come either. She said she can't trust ShinRa after what they have for so long. I understand how they feel; I just wish they would give them on more chance. I really think they are serious this time and sincere."

The room fell silent for a moment and then Cid stood up from against the wall.

"I am willing to give them a chance. Cant' really say I know why, but it just feels like something I should do."

"Thank you, Cid. Any word from Vincent?"

"Nothing yet, but I am going to go talk to him tonight. Tifa, tell R

"So that makes you, me, Nanaki, and maybe Vincent. Thank you Cid, I really appreciate it."

"I'm just curious to see what it is they want and plan to do this time."

Tifa nodded silently in agreement.

"Vincent, I understand how you feel, but you should at least hear them out. ShinRa may have really changed this time. Isn't that worth hearing them out for?"

"Cid. You know all too well that is not possible."

Cid stood in the small clearing, the moonlight shinning down through the bare branched of dead trees. He had managed to trace down where Vincent had hidden himself away this time. Now all he had to do was convince him to come back with him."

"Vincent…"

"I won't go back. ShinRa stole everything from me. They may have taken a few years of your life and stolen away some of your dreams Cid, but they destroyed mine. I gave them everything and they took that and more. ShinRa is why I am who… what I am today- a monster, feared and hated by all but a few. The President lied to me, the Turks deceived me, the SOLDIERS betrayed me, and Hojo turned me into what I am. How can you ask me to go back and possibly even help them?"

"Vincent, this may be something bigger… ShinRa wouldn't attempt contact after all this time unless something big was happening. Something we may find ourselves fighting on the same side against. Should you work with them if it came to that?"

"The next time I am with anyone from ShinRa, they will find a bullet with their name on it if they bet between me and my target."

Cid sighed as he watched Vincent turn and walk away, fading away into the darkness and vanishing between the trees.

"You always were the difficult one, even after all these years," Cid said as he turned and headed back in the opposite direction Vincent had gone.

As Cid walked away, a dark shadowy figure emerged form the trees and watched Cid as he walked back towards Midgar. Silvery hair shone in the moonlight, blown by the gentle breeze. Bright green eyes peered out from the shadowed face. The cloaked stranger gave a laugh and faded back into the darkness as a flock of crow flew overhead, cawing loudly.


End file.
